Not much has changed since the Daytona of my youth. Maybe, to some, this is a bad thing but, to me, it’s great. A1-A is still lined with hotels and restaurants of every size and shape on the beach side and shops filled with sandals and seashells on the inland size. When the tide is right, you have the option every few blocks to drive right down onto the beach and find your own ocean-side parking spot (an advantage of the endless beach of Central Florida’s Atlantic Coast). Or, if you want a little distance from the car crowd, head to the traffic-free section of beach south of Seabreeze Boulevard. You can park in the Ocean Center garage or in public parking on the side streets .

The traffic free zone includes the historic pier and boardwalk area and the Ocean Walk Shoppes, giving you a choice of post-beach entertainment. Options include the movies, a waterpark, arcade games, bumper cars, people-watching, eating, drinking and shopping. The city of Daytona has pumped millions of dollars into rebuilding the pier and it will soon be the home of a Joe’s Crab Shack.

If you are a nautical type, head 10 miles south to see the Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse and climb the 175-foot-tall tower for a great view of the sprawling beaches and surrounding waterways. Speaking of waterways, Ponce Inlet is your jumping off point for deep sea fishing. Or head north into the beautiful Halifax River for calmer waters and a view of some beautiful homes tucked among a mix of palm trees and spanish moss-draped live oaks.

The bottom line is that Daytona is not Disney or South Beach or even Hilton Head. It’s a place where the south and beach blend, commercialism isn’t overwhelming and a glimpse of the past shines through to the modern world. For some, it’s a town of race cars and motorcycles, which is true a few weeks of the year. The rest of the time, it’s a stretch of beach that’s easy, accessible and not to be forgotten.

Welcome to the world of villa renting, the best little secret to lavish vacations for little coin. The six of us who called Villa Spuntone home for two weeks enjoyed our own olive grove, outside dining area and a two-story house with bathrooms and bedrooms – enough space for everyone. We lived like locals, walking onto town for groceries, cooking with fresh produce from the market and picking lemons and rosemary from the yard to make sauces and dressings. (Added recommendation: Bring your own fabulous cook to really get the most of the experience.)

I’ve rented villas on the Amalfi Coast, up and down the coast of Croatia and even here in the US. They are best when traveling with a group as they offer more space and more amenities than a hotel room and the cost gets nicely divided. You also tend to take advantage of the eating cost savings if you have your own entertainment. Even if you just buy fresh bread and cheese or cereal and fruit for snacks, breakfast and/or a sunset drink on a deck or balcony, you are doing good things for your overall travel budget. I think I paid for a pair of custom sandals in Positano with the money I saved by eating Rice Krispies a few mornings.

• Not every villa I’ve ever rented has been as perfect as our home in Tuscany. It does take homework and advanced planning. Some guidelines I’d consider:
• Don’t rush a villa reservation. If you haven’t really vetted the place by reading reviews and comparison shopping, then you may well be disappointed
• Don’t book at the last minute as you will have less selection and will do less homework
• Don’t bother with a villa a stay of one-two nights. The payoff comes over an extended stay and you will be too busy exploring a new place to want to spend time eating or hanging out at “home.” Besides, who doesn’t love the decadence of a night or two in a hotel?
• Villa’s work better either countryside or the seaside. A city holds too much allure to be out and about and, also, the cost of real estate probably means the home is not as lavish. You want the family beach house or a loved vacation home more than the urban apartment experience.